Advertising represents a major component of many types of sports. In this case, in addition to advertising during pauses and shirt advertising, areas are preferably used which the spectator looks at when looking at the playing field. Playing field boundary hoardings in football, basketball or ice-hockey stadiums are thus provided with advertising messages.
Generally, these advertising hoardings have static images, symbols and writing or have a changing image, which is produced by a change, for example electronic image signals. In this case, these visual signals are changed at fixed time intervals. Since these intervals are independent of the progress of the game, the “advertising effect” is generally very low, since the spectator's attention is concentrated virtually entirely on the progress of the game and the advertising hoardings are perceived only as a background and, furthermore, there is a certain effect of becoming used to them. In sporting stadiums, the scoreboard is sometimes used as an advertising medium with dynamic advertising contents.
However, the spectator's attention is primarily directed at those involved in the sport and the sports bodies which are moved by those involved in the sport, such as the ball, frisbee, shot, hammer, discus or javelin. Particularly in the case of fast ball games, such as football, handball or volleyball, the view remains on the ball, whose movement determines the outcome of the game and which is followed by the camera for the television spectator.
It is known from other areas of advertising for the attention of those being addressed to be diverted by noises, movements or special effects on the advertising media.
It is also known for an acoustic addition to be provided for an advertising medium, by an external stimulus.
For example, the British Patent Specification 2 258 424 describes a poster with built-in sensors which can be activated by light, pressure or contact and then results in an audio medium being played back, which adds to the visual message on the hoarding in an appealing manner.
Mechanically triggered effects are also known from other areas.
For example, European Patent Specification 0 767 068 A3 discloses a game in which a mechanical sensor is activated by touching or pushing an image, as a result of which an electrical pulse allows a built-in audio medium to be played back.
Known measures in the sporting area are, however, restricted to the described hoarding and shirt advertising media, although the role of advertising in sport is of critical importance, and considerable sums are invested in advertising measures in the sporting area.